Episode VIII: Rise of the First Order
by artofthewinds
Summary: Fan-written version of Star Wars Episode VIII: Rey attempts a mission to find and convince Luke to join the Resistance and reunite with his sister, Leia, while attempting to destroy the First Order. Meanwhile, the First Order survived Starkiller Bases's destruction and continue the hope of finding Skywalker and destroying the last known Jedi.
1. Chapter 1 - Disclaimer and Crawl

I do not own Star Wars or any of it's characters. I am in no way affiliated with Lucasfilm or Disney and simply writing this a expression for entertainment. Any previously created content prior to my additions shall be credited to it's rightful owners.

STAR WARS

EPISODE VIII

RISE OF THE FIRST ORDER

Luke Skywalker has vanished into exile on the planet of Ahch-To in an attempt of finding the first JEDI TEMPLE and restoring the JEDI ORDER.

Rey, the newest member of the RESISTANCE, is sent on a mission by General Leia to find her brother Luke in hopes of joining the Resistance in defeating the FIRST ORDER and restoring peace and justice among the galaxy.

Meanwhile, the surviving FIRST ORDER from the destruction of the Starkiller Base remain weak under the command of Supreme Leader Snoke and his injured apprentice, Kylo Ren. They continue with their obsession of finding Skywalker and killing the last known Jedi...


	2. Chapter 2 - Rey's Arrival on Ahch-To

A pristine ocean of endless blue stretches across the entire surface of Ahch-To. It's interrupted by only handful of grassy black rock islands that seem to run miles into the sky.

Rey steps off the Millennium Falcon to be greeted by the warmth of the sun. The warmth feels rather nice on her skin, opposite the rough one she is used to on Jakku. She climbs a few of the rock steps before her and stops, looking back at Chewie and Artoo, who inspect the exterior of the Falcon, before continuing. Chewie looks up at her with his eyes that are reminded of an old friend. He nods in accordance and she continues up the steps with a smile.

Rey is unsure as to what she will find. She knows what she is expecting but everything that has come into her life before has come as unexpected, and much unfortunate. A part of her wants to turn back, but she has to remind herself to keeping moving forward. She takes a few deep breaths here and there as she treks up the steps to the top of the island. Another ten to go and she stops to look down, still spotting Chewie and Artoo. This comforts her.

Rey breathes almost a sigh of relief as she steps off the final step. She looks around to find herself in a clearing, the top is full of beautiful green grass and moss. She takes in the breathtaking view when she suddenly stops, holding her breath. At the other end of the cliff, a cloaked figure stands, peering out into the endless sea. She relaxes. She knows exactly who it is as she takes a few steps towards him.

He turns around, slowly removing his hood with one normal hand and one mechanical one. Luke Skywalker, the man she once knew as a myth, was standing only a few feet away from her. He's older, grey hair, and bearded. Without breaking eye contact, she removes something from the bag at her side. Immediately, he recognizes it, his eyes falling in sorrow as she lifts it up to him. His lightsaber... and his father's before him. She holds the saber out as an offer. A plea. The galaxy's only hope. His look is stunned, amazed, yet conflicted. The promise of an adventure just beginning. He stares at the lightsaber he has not seen in decades. He's stuck in a trance that holds in over twenty-years worth of mystery.

"I think this belongs to you." She finally speaks, breaking the silence.

Luke finally takes a few steps towards her, eyes locked on the saber. He stops and takes the saber into his hands, studying it. His hands tremble. "Not anymore." He hands it back to her and turns and paces back to his original spot, again staring out into the vast ocean. "We parted our ways many years ago. It was for the better good."

She lowers her arm in confusion. Rey moves next to him and holds it out in front of him. "I traveled a long way to bring this to you."

He looks her dead in the eye. "Then you wasted your time." He turns and starts down the same steps she came up on.

Rey lowers the saber once again. She finds herself in a situation that she didn't expect. She follows him. "I was sent here on a mission. The Resistance needs your help to finishing off the First Order and restoring peace among the galaxy."

"I know why you're here... and I can't help you. I'm sorry." He continues down the steps towards a landing with various huts.

Rey stops with pure passion in her eyes. "You can't or you won't? Leia needs your help." This stops Luke in his tracks but he doesn't turn around. The pain of leaving his sister behind was and still is strong. His emotions are conflicted. "She needs you. She's counting on you. She's all alone. A thing that you'd know something about." Luke quickly turns and steps close, looking deep into Rey's eyes.

"I'm alone for a better reason." He responds, almost infuriated. Luke pushes into a small village of rock huts. Rey stops as if she's giving up, but a light bulb full of determination clicks on.

"You're afraid. Afraid you'll lose another person you love. First your father, your nephew... Han Solo." Luke stops. His eyes fall in pain. He turns around. He wasn't there when it happened but he knew his old friend was gone.

"I couldn't help them anymore than you could." He says this as a way to convince himself more than her.

"But maybe you could do something else." Rey speaks with assurance. He actually stops to listen. "You can come back with me. To the Resistance. We need your help. Starkiller Base has been destroyed but our job's not done yet. We need your help," Rey continues. Luke thinks on it. He sighs.

"You need to leave. Please. Like I said, I can't help you." Luke tries to convince himself.

"The let me stay for one night. We have a few repairs to make before we set back out." Rey responds. She knows it's more than to just make repairs. "We" catches Luke's attention. He attempts to look in that direction, but effortly.

He looks back at her. "One night." He says continuing deeper into the village of huts. Rey looks out where the sun glares down on the ocean and smirks, finally following Luke.


	3. Chapter 3 - Memories

The Resistance's command center is packed fuller than usual. Resistance Officers don't just go about their daily tasks. After the successful mission of destroying Starkiller Base, the Resistance continues to pursue Kylo Ren and his master, Supreme Leader Snoke, and prevent them from taking action against the attempted destruction of the Resistance itself, the galaxy, Luke Skywalker, and the Jedi Order.

It had only been a short time since Leia had watched Rey take off in the Millennium Falcon with Chewie and Artoo. She had hoped with all her heart that Rey could find and convince Luke to reunite with her and join the Resistance in the fight against the First Order. She knew it would be hard after everything that had happened with Ben. She knew he blamed himself, but she couldn't help but blame herself for failing as a mother to protect her son.

Leia fiddles at the collar of her gown with thought. Her eyes watch her working officers, but her mind is off somewhere else. She feels empty with the loss of her love, Han Solo. It hadn't been long since his death. He may have been the one impaired, but she felt like she had also taken one right in the heart also.

"General, we have something." Lieutenant Connix speaks from a nearby monitor. Leia snaps out of her trance and moves in front of it. Other Resistance officers follow. They crowd around the monitor. "We received a signal from the Falcon signaling touchdown on Ahch-To." Connix continues.

"Rey did it." Leia smiles.

"Now we just have to wait and see if Luke's on it." Another says. Leia looks back at the spoken officer, almost heartbroken. She feels as if she'll never find her brother, Luke, again. If she does, things won't be the same. Everything has changed.

Leia moves slowly out of the command center and to the outside of the base. She passes by the hangars and all the X-Wings, where pilots tend to repairs. She mopes all the way down the runway, where she stops when she reaches the end of the cliff. She looks out at the passage below. It's full of thick green grass, willow trees, and plants and flowers of all kinds. At the base of the cliff runs a small river, crackling as the water flows into what seems like infinity. Leia looks out into the sunset, remembering the heartful memories she had with Han.

 _33 years ago_

 _Han sits on a daybed aboard the ship, attempting to catch the chips he throws up in the air in his mouth. His attention turns as he notices Leia looking at herself in the mirror. She studies her outfit; a subtle, long, white, nightgown that drapes to the floor. Han's eyes are starstruck. He flash his famous side smile._

" _Come here." He says to Leia._

 _She turns around. "What?" She smiles._

" _Come here." He repeats._

 _Leia moves towards him with a confused smile, unsure what he wants. Han reaches up, taking a hold of her wrists, and pulling her down to sit next to him._

 _He pauses for thought. Leia's face falls, worried._

" _What is it?" She asks._

" _Do you ever think about the future?" Han responds._

" _Why of course I do."_

" _Your future with me?"_

 _She smiles. "Yes. I have."_

" _What do you think about?" He asks seriously interested._

" _I think about where we can go in the future. Where it will take us... our children." She's almost afraid to speak the last one._

" _Our children, huh? I guess you have no plans to get rid of me yet." He says cocky._

" _Don't push yourself too far, Captain."_

 _They exchange smiles full of love. He moves in to kiss the woman he loves, something he's always been afraid to admit._

Leia bounces back into reality. She smiles at the memories that flood in her mind. She turns around as footsteps approach her. Poe Dameron strides up to her. He sees her and is automatically concerned.

"General, is everything alright?" He asks her.

"Just needed some fresh air." She responds while putting on a strong face. "Is something wrong?"

"Finn's waking up." Poe says powerfully.


	4. Chapter 4 - Resistance Stands Tall

The automatic sliding door opens for Leia and Poe to enter the medical bay. They look around the room to only see a handful of nurses but no Finn in sight.

"Where is he?" Leia asks.

"He was just here," Poe responds just as confused.

"Find him," Leia says in a demanding way. "He's still recovering, he shouldn't be wandering around."

She turns to leave the room. Poe looks at the nurses and then backs out of the room in a hurry.

He doesn't remember much since his battle with Kylo Ren. Everything is still fuzzy. He can still feel the heat of the lightsaber piercing his skin; a terrible feeling, something he wishes to never experience again.

Finn rushes through the Resistance hangars looking for something, or someone. "Rey… Rey!" He continues to shout after every few yards. "Have you seen Rey?" The busy X-Wing pilots tend to their repairs, watching Finn with suspicion.

He continues to rush around the base, looking even in the oddest spots. He's unaware of Rey's whereabouts. He was unconscious when she said goodbye before her mission.

Finn reaches the end of the cliff and notices the beautiful scenery. All the trees and flowers… It's beautiful, he thinks. He gets distracted, finding himself gazing over the cliff.

"Finn!"

Finn turns around to see Poe rushing towards him. He puts his hands on his shoulders. "What are you doing? You should be resting."

"I was looking for Rey. Have you seen her? Where is she?" Finn is still concerned.

"She's okay, she's okay. She left to try and find Luke. You were unconscious when she said goodbye."

"Goodbye?" Finn questions to himself.

Finn looks at the ground.

"Come on, we should get you inside." Poe guides Finn back into the base.

Leia and other Resistance officers gather around the map table but no hologram is projected above it. It's silent as Leia delivers her speech. Poe rushes in with Finn ready to speak but stops as he notices the meeting.

"We have successfully destroyed Starkiller Base but our mission to destroy the First Order is far from over," Leia says. "We know that a few enemy transports made it off the base before it exploded. We know there are more followers spread across the galaxy. There always is. We need to find and track them." Her voice is stern.

Leia shifts in her spot. "Supreme Leader Snoke is where we start. He is responsible for everything that is the resurrection of the Empire and Kylo Ren's reign." It hurts for her to say the words 'Kylo Ren'. It hurts her to see her son portraying someone she knows he is not.

Leia takes a pause just long enough for someone to cut in.

Officer Montell steps forward. "General, we lost a significant amount of X-Wings in the destruction. We're already working on constructing more, but we don't have enough pilots to fulfill their duties."

"I'll do it."

The room turns to Finn. He steps towards the inner circle with fatigue to his body. "I can be your pilot." Poe puts his arm around him to stop him but Finn shrugs him off. Whispers ensue across the room. Leia studies him, unsure if it's the right thing to do. "I know I need training. But I'm confident I can do this. Poe can teach me," Finn continues.

Poe raises his head to say no but instead finds himself nodding.

"We appreciate all your help for us, Finn. You took a big hit, you shouldn't be on your feet yet." Leia responds.

"Just give me a couple days and I will be ready. I want to join the Resistance permanently. My whole life I've been raised to do one thing… To kill. That is not the man I am and now I have a chance to change that. I want to make a difference and standing right here is how that starts. So, please. Let me do this."

The room is incredibly quiet. His words definitely hit the right spot. Many nod their heads, others hold back tears. Leia is just as emotional. Poe looks proud.

"Okay," Leia finally says. Her voice is much softer now than before. "Take the next couple of days to stay off your feet. When you're fully recovered, we'll discuss your training."

Poe pats Finn on the shoulder. "You better go get some rest, then." He smiles at him. Finn flashes the biggest smile back and turns out of the command center but is stopped as Leia speaks again.

"Our first step is Luke Skywalker. His presence is extremely vital to the Resistance. Let's hope Rey can bring him back."

Finn is saddened at the mentioning of Rey's name.

Leia nods as a thank you to everyone and they all branch off to resume their previous duties.

"Come home, Luke." Leia mutters to not only herself but Luke. She hopes he can hear her.


	5. Chapter 5- Awakening

The night's on Ahch-To are silent. Peaceful. The only sounds you hear are distant birds during the day and the echoes of the vast ocean's waves slamming against the rocks at night.

Rey bites ferociously into a cooked bird as if she hasn't eaten in years. She's hunched over a small fire to keep her warm. Luke eats at a much slower pace next to her. On the other side, Chewie eats his own bird while Artoo stands in the corner, dark and silent after he's powered down for the night.

Rey finishes and licks her fingers. She's reluctant to speak. Very few words have been spoken, if any at all, since she convinced Luke to let her stay a night.

"How long have you been on this island?" She asks curiously.

There's tension between the two. Luke is unsure whether he wants to answer. "Fifteen years," he finally says while setting down the meatless bones.

"Fifteen years?" Rey's jaw drops. "You don't get lonely?" You have to get lonely, she thinks to herself, especially on an island like this with nothing but birds and fish.

"Many times," Luke sighs." But when you've been searching for something, loneliness doesn't matter," he continues.

"What have you been searching for?" Rey already knows, Han told her, but she asks anyway.

Luke hesitates to answer. "After a young apprentice of mine killed my other Jedi students, I set out in search of the first Jedi Temple to revive the Jedi Order. I traveled nearly the entire galaxy looking for it."

"If you settled here, you must have found it," Rey says with enthusiasm.

"Not exactly. I didn't find the Temple. But I found something else." Luke stops in the middle of his story. Rey looks at him, waiting for him to continue.

"What was it?" She hurries at him.

"They're known as Kyber crystals."

"They power the Jedi's lightsabers," Rey cuts in.

"Yes, but they are also attuned with the Force. These crystals are what help power the Jedi's. They're scattered among the galaxy on various planets. But this display is different. When these crystals finally glow, the Jedi Order can be restored."

"I take it that hasn't happened yet," she says sincerely.

"No." Luke's responds disappointed.

They both sit for a moment, mulling over what they discussed in their minds. Luke is uncomfortable in the silence and eventually gets up from the stone he was seated on. He places his plate of empty bones aside. "You better get some rest for your trip back tomorrow," he says as he ducks from under the hut's entrance and leaves.

Rey sees that Chewie has already made himself a not-so-comfortable sleeping spot on the ground. She looks to the opposite side where the empty cot sits. Why not, she thinks and slips under the thin blanket.

Rey is disturbed in her sleep. She stirs as if she's having a nightmare. Her breathing becomes harsher and then her eyes are wide open. She finds herself lying on the ground. She sits up, looking for Chewie and Artoo who are no longer there. Rey notices the walls, they're different. The have carved hieroglyphics covering every square inch. This is a different hut. How did she get here?

Rey stands up, confused. She studies the unfamiliar hieroglyphics, trying to make sense of them by turning 360 degrees to see them all. As she turns around she notices a stone formation, like a podium. On top sits something reflective. Rey moves towards it to get a closer look.

It's the Kyber crystals.

They're beautiful, Rey thinks. She kneels down in front the stone podium so she can study them. The sight of them takes Rey's mind to a different world, one much calmer.

Rey reaches forward and touches the crystals when they suddenly light up. The entire hut glows blue. She pulls away fast with her eyes wide in surprise. She senses something behind her and turns around to see Luke standing in hut's archway. His face shows not even a bit of shock or surprise, but more of curiosity. He takes a few steps towards her and stops.

"Was that-" Rey begins to say.

"-what I've been waiting for for fifteen years," he finishes for her.


	6. Chapter 6- Snoke of Obsidian

The First Order's Star Destroyer emerges through the far side of the galaxy, overshadowing the unfamiliar black planet of Obsidian below. The planet seems as if it's one whole solid black surface. In the middle, a single crack allows the planet-wide river of lava to flow. As the Destroyer descends to a hover, a single transports comes forth from the ship's hull.

The transport touches down on the landing-pad that leads to a mysterious black Monastery. Several Stormtroopers escort a hovering stretcher out of the transport. On it lies an unconscious Kylo Ren. As the stretcher glides it's way into the monastery, Ren's body shakes gently with the movement. His face is now interrupted by a deep scar reaching from his forehead to his chin, a wound he endured from his battle with Rey. General Hux follows at his side, unbalanced from the recent events.

Hux, the Troopers, and unconscious Ren, move into a room that is much larger than it seems. The shadows black out the outer edges to make its walls seem endless. They all stop, including the stretcher when a handful of individuals appear from the vast darkness. Their appearance is similar to that of a Knight in Shining Armor; one of all black. They immediately tend to Kylo, whisking him away into the darkness. The Trooper's also disappear, leaving just Hux to himself. But he's not alone.

Hux is startled by a distant sound. His body freezes up and he stands up straight. His eyes fall to the floor as something moves closer from the opposite side of the room. The air becomes tighter as it approaches.

Supreme Leader Snoke's seven foot figure emerges from the vast darkness. His skin is pale and broken and his face is full of scars from his past. His long fingers are cringe worthy and he moves at a slithering pace.

Hux is completely unsettled by the presence. Beads of sweat form above his brow. He takes a big gulp. He's simply lost confidence in himself and the plan after the recent events that have taken place.

"The time is closing for Kylo Ren to complete his training." Snoke speaks in his malicious yet soothing voice.

"I managed to get him off Starkiller just in time, Supreme Leader. But he was greatly injured."

"Ren will be fine."

"He will complete his mission in time, Supreme Leader. I am sure... In the meantime, how do you suggest we move forward?" Hux responds, shakily.

"We continue with our original plan. Until Ren can destroy the Last Jedi, we must finish what we started… Finish the Resistance, and the remaining Republic."

Hux starts to turn away but Snoke adds one last thing, "And, don't forget the General. We must not let Kylo Ren become seduced to the light side. Eliminate the last remaining factor. Royalty isn't meant to last forever."

"Yes, Supreme Leader. Right away." Hux is relieved to walk away in one piece. He sighs deeply. Behind him, Snoke slithers back into darkness.


End file.
